Amorphous ZrO₂ layer conformally grown with zeolite for advanced photocatalytic degradation

Photocatalytic degradation is an efficient approach to handle dyestuff wastewater, but facile synthesis of highly efficient and environmental-friendly photocatalysts is still challenging. Herein, we develop a facile route to fabricate amorphous ZrO₂ layers conformally grown with zeolite. The Zeolite@A-ZrO₂ exhibits superior photocatalytic performance, outstanding stability and usability towards Rhodamine B dye degradation compared to the pristine Zeolite and A-ZrO₂ under simulated sunlight. The superiorities of Zeolite@A-ZrO₂ can be attributed to the high specific surface area and favorable stability of Zeolite, the numerous surface defect sites originated from A-ZrO₂, and the interfacial interaction resulted in heterojunction, collectively achieving a low recombination rate of electron-hole pairs.